Today’s Gospel reading follows on from the miracle of the Feeding of the Five Thousand. Jesus has sent away the crowds and now he sends his apostles away in the boat so that he can go away by himself.
In the Biblical culture the sea is the symbol of chaos. The disciples who were gathered in the boat see Jesus walking on the water and believe that they are seeing a ghost. The sight grips them with fear. There comes a fierce storm. High winds blow water into the boat. There was much to fear. Yet they had nothing to fear.
The disciples wear themselves out rowing harder but Jesus keeps praying and walks on the water to cross the lake. Peter takes his first step as he climbs over the side of the boat. He was looking at Jesus, not at the water. His mind was charged with Jesus' invitation: “Come”. So often the way out of difficulty is not a thought or a consideration, but a physical step; to take a risk and discover we are strong enough to walk by God’s grace as we keep our eyes on the Lord.
The most frequently repeated phrase in the gospels is, “Do not be afraid!” The Lord is speaking to our will. We must make a conscious decision not to allow fear to paralyze us. Peter sank because he stopped walking. Peter had courage when his eyes were on Jesus, but foundered when he focused on himself and his situation. Today's Gospel invites us to ask God to help us daily and to keep Jesus ever before us.
